IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--California avocado season is officially in full swing, just in time for
the upcoming summer holidays. This year, the California Avocado
Commission has partnered with Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger to
share great ideas for jazzing up any summer gathering with California
avocados. Ideal for the 4th of July, Labor Day or any
gathering in-between, it’s undeniable that California avocados add
something special to any party.

Milliken and Feniger, also known as the “Too Hot Tamales,” have both
competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” and are co-chef/owners of the
popular Border Grill restaurants in Santa Monica, Calif., Downtown Los
Angeles and Las Vegas, along with the Border Grill Truck, which brings
modern Latin cuisine to neighborhoods throughout Southern California.
Feniger also is the chef/owner of MudHen Tavern in Los Angeles.

“I make no secret of my affection for California avocados,” said
Feniger. “With the fruit being at its peak availability for the whole
summer, I think they are an absolutely perfect ingredient to bring for a
picnic at the beach, for a neighborhood cocktail party, or for any other
hot-weather shindig."

“California avocados are great as a cool creamy sauce with spicy
barbeque, and they add great texture to salads, sandwiches and pasta
dishes,” said Milliken. “We’ve created some delicious new recipes that
showcase how versatile this fruit can be.”

California produces approximately 90 percent of the nation’s avocado
crop on nearly 5,000 family farms in central and southern California.
These hand grown California avocados are in season from spring through
fall.

California-grown avocados are the ultimate fruit– delicious and
good for you. Avocados are a nutritious superfood that provides
“good” fats and nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

The “Too Hot Tamales” have created two delicious recipes that will take
your next BBQ or summer get-together to the next level: a “California
Avocado and Tomato Salad with Crispy Crumbs and Bacon Vinaigrette,”
which wows with an impressive tower presentation, and an “Oven Barbequed
Ancho Chicken with Cabbage, Grapefruit and California Avocado Salad,” a
guaranteed crowd pleaser. For these and other 4th of July and
summer-themed recipes, visit CaliforniaAvocado.com/Fourth-of-July.

Mix together olive oil, pepper and half the salt. Brush this mixture
evenly on bread slices and place in oven. Cook until evenly golden
brown and crispy, about 8-10 minutes.

Cool bread completely, then place in a resealable plastic bag and
crush into irregular croutons.

Mash six of the avocado quarters with the remaining salt.

Divided among each serving plate, layer one slice of tomato and
drizzle with small, equal amounts of Bacon Vinaigrette. Follow with
avocado mash and sprinkles of crispy crumbs. Repeat in each stack
until all ingredients are used.

Slice the remaining avocado quarter into six thin slices and place two
slices on top each stack.

Drizzle with remaining bacon vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Bacon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

4 thick slices bacon, cut into short 1/16-in. thick pieces

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp. apple vinegar

1/2 Tbsp. honey

1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Fry bacon in a skillet until crisp then drain on paper towels.

Transfer a spoonful of bacon fat to a large mixing bowl and add olive
oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper.

Whisk to form vinaigrette.

*Note: Recipe yields about 1/3 cup of Bacon Vinaigrette. There will be
some left over.

A few hours or up to a day ahead, mix together the ancho powder,
cumin, pepper and 2/3 of the sea salt and rub all over chicken pieces.
Place seasoned chicken on a rack, uncovered in the refrigerator to air
dry until ready to cook.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

To create the glaze, add the vinegar, agave, molasses, pepper and
remaining sea salt to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce by
half and then remove from heat. Set aside.

Place seasoned chicken in pan and place in oven to roast. After about
10 minutes, brush chicken with the glaze and continue roasting for an
additional 20-30 minutes, glazing and turning the pieces every 3-4
minutes until cooked through.

*Note: To supreme a grapefruit, cut off the top and bottom of the
grapefruit, exposing the fruit. Place flat side on a cutting board, and
using a sharp knife, cut the peel away from the grapefruit, removing all
the white pith. Discard peel. Next, segment the grapefruits by holding
the grapefruit over a bowl, use a paring knife and cut next to the
membrane on each side of each segment leaving membrane behind. Let
segments fall into the bowl. Once the grapefruit has been segmented,
squeeze the leftover membranes into the bowl to extract as much juice as
possible. Strain juice into another bowl and set aside. Discard
membranes.

*Large avocados are recommended for these recipes. A large avocado
averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust
the quantity accordingly. As with all fruits and vegetables, wash
avocados before cutting.

Created in 1978, the California Avocado Commission strives to increase
demand for California avocados through advertising, promotion and public
relations, and engages in related industry activities that benefit the
state’s nearly 5,000 avocado growers. The California Avocado Commission
serves as the official information source for California avocados and
the California avocado industry. For nutrition information and recipes
visit CaliforniaAvocado.com,
or join us on Facebook
at Facebook.com/CaliforniaAvocados and @CA_Avocados on Twitter,
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for updates.